Mistletoe
by perscribo
Summary: Written for 554Laura for the Bonesology Christmas gift exchange. Her wish for Booth and Brennan and a traditional Christmas symbol used differently than normal. Enjoy this one-shot! Merry Christmas!


**Disclaimer** : I don't own Bones

 ** _Written for the 2017 Bones FF Christmas Gift Exchange. This one's for 554Laura. Thank you for the amazing stories you write and all your faithful reviews of mine._**

 ** _You wished for Booth and Brennan (and family?) and one other character, a traditional Christmas symbol used differently than normal, a happy ending of some sort. This took me some time to come up with. Here's hoping I met the brie. Hope you like your gift. Happy ending guaranteed. Blessed Christmas!_**

 ** _This fic is set sometime in Season 6, after The Blackout in the Blizzard_**

Mistletoe

She had suggested that they could try being together some time in the future and life was good again. Coffee tasted better, pie was tastier, the air felt fresher and despite the season, the sun shone brighter. Time spent with her was so much sweeter. Their lunches and dinners now meant so much more, as if building towards a grand crescendo of some sort. He knew he wasn't supposed to but even murders to solve felt happier. Not that he celebrated another person's misfortune, but it meant more time together as partners, pouring over a case at each other's apartment, sometimes into the early hours of the morning.

Christmas was approaching. Christmas was Booth's favorite time of year but he knew she disliked it because it reminded her of the time when she had been abandoned by her parents. He felt determined to change her perception of this time of year. Sitting on the floor of his tiny apartment, files and all things pertinent to their current case strewn over his floor along with empty take-out boxes and beer bottles discarded on the coffee table, the partners analysed the evidence on hand.

"I still think the ex-girlfriend did it." Booth said as he stretched his arms upwards, yawning. His arms came to rest on the couch they were leaning back against.

Brennan straightened from studying a file on the floor, leaning back against the couch as well. Her hair brushed his outstretched arm and his hand rested gently on her shoulder. In the weeks that followed their little pact in that very same apartment that resulted in them burning little pieces of paper, the partners had surely but steadily gotten back the comfortable friendship that they had before she had left for Maluku and he for Afghanistan.

They touched more frequently now and shared the same lingering looks that so characterized their relationship. His hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer was now a commonplace occurrence.

"Wendy Marshall?"

"Yup."

"Your gut again?"

Booth grinned. "Yeah. Jealousy is always a good motive."

"Unfortunately we have no definite proof to substantiate what your gut feels."

"You're right. That's not gonna hold up in court."

Brennan smiled, then stifled a yawn.

"It's getting kinda late. We're both tired."

"Perhaps after a night of sleep, our brains would see the case in a new perspective."

"You're welcome to stay the night if you want." Booth shrugged nonchalantly. His smile hiding the rapid thudding of his heart in his chest.

Brennan stared back at him with a longing that made him want to kiss her already but he held back. He wasn't going to push her this time.

"Thank you for the generous offer but I think I'll go home to my own apartment."

"Yeah. Sure… I'll give you a ride."

"No, it's late. I can call a cab."

"Nonsense. You know me. I love cars and driving." _Yeah right._ Booth thought. He loved her and being with her.

"If it's no trouble."

"Trust me Bones, it's no trouble at all." Booth got to his feet, holding his hand out to her. She took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet, their bodies bumping as she stood. They locked eyes again before he blinked. Someday, he thought. Someday soon.

…

Booth slid into the seat opposite Brennan at the Royal Diner.

"All the paperwork done?" Brennan asked, looking up at her partner from her soup.

"Yeah. Who would've thought that mistletoe could be deadly huh? And I thought it was only good for people to kiss under."

"In Norse mythology, mistletoe played a significant role in the story of the death of Balder, the god of light. Loki the god of mischief tricked another god into murdering Balder using an arrow made of mistletoe. Apparently that was the only plant Balder was vulnerable to."

"Well our victim wasn't killed but a mistletoe arrow."

"No, he wasn't. While American mistletoe isn't generally toxic with gastrointestinal symptoms being its worst effect, European mistletoe also known as _Viscum album_ _,_ _has been known to cause bradycardia, a slowing of the heart rate."_

 _"_ _Remind me to keep mistletoe away from Parker from now on."_

The waitress at the diner brought Booth a burger and a slice of apple pie, interrupting the their conversation.

"You ordered for me?"

"Yes. I knew you would be hungry after a morning of processing the paperwork that came with the arrest of Wendy Marshall."

"Thanks Bones!" Booth flashed her a charm smile, before biting into his burger. He chewed happily on his lunch, admiring his beautiful partner before continuing. "We wouldn't have caught the killer if not for you connecting the dots."

"Hodgins found mistletoe in the victim's stomach contents."

"And you remembered that the victim was also on meds for a heart condition."

"QT prolongation. Coupled with the effects from the tea brewed with mistletoe mixed into the tea leaves, it proved fatal for our victim."

"Exactly. Who would've thought? Mistletoe. A murder-weapon."

Brennan laughed. "Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. People tend to forget that and just use it for an excuse to kiss."

"It's a good excuse if you ask me." Booth teased.

"I must admit if not for your gut, we wouldn't have looked further into Wendy Marshall."

"Right? Never count out the jealous ex-girlfriend."

"Who also happened to be a botanist."

The partners shared a laugh. Booth had been wanting to ask, but the case came up and now that it was solved, he wanted to execute his plan. He took a bite out of his pie, trying to work up the courage.

"So um Bones. Christmas is coming real soon."

"I'm well aware of the fact."

"So you ah… you going anywhere this year?"

"I was considering a trip to Central Africa. But I would definitely make time to exchange gifts with you before I leave."

"Yeah about that, I got Parker this year."

"That's great news."

"It is. But you know, it's just gonna be me and Parker in my apartment… I was wondering… maybe you'd like to spend Christmas with us? I could make us a simple Christmas meal, turkey and um… stuff with lotsa tofu and greens for you."

Brennan stared at him in silence and Booth wondered if she could hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

"That does sound nice."

"It does?" Booth cleared his throat. "I mean, of course it does."

…

As the days leading to their little Christmas get together drew nearer, Booth busied himself with preparations for dinner and the selection of an appropriate gift for the woman he now knew he had never stopped loving. Parker who had learnt that Brennan was joining them for Christmas was overjoyed and the Booth men decorated the tiny apartment with a Christmas tree and mistletoe.

Christmas eve, the day of their arranged get together arrived. Booth wanted nothing more than to impress and he laid out a feast worthy of the occasion. Parker bubbled with excitement over dinner, monopolizing Brennan's attention for the most part of the evening. Booth didn't mind. He was more than happy to see the two people he loved more than anything else in the world enjoying time together. By the time the boy tired himself out, it was close to midnight. Parker had only grudgingly agreed to go to bed after Booth threatened that Santa would not leave his presents until he was asleep and Brennan promised that she would see him the next day to open their presents together.

The partners sat side by side, leaning against each other, on Booth's couch enjoying eggnog. Booth hated to admit it but he had enjoyed the evening so much that he, much like his son, didn't want it to end. He placed his glass on the coffee table and got to his feet. Grinning he held out a hand to Brennan.

"Dance with me?"

Brennan smiled, taking his hand and accepting his request.

"There's no music."

"Let's just go with it okay Bones?"

Brennan chuckled. "Okay."

She wrapped her arms round his neck and he wrapped his round her slim waist. She rested her head contentedly on his broad shoulder and the partners slow danced in Booth's living room to the imaginary music in Booth's head. Booth savoured the moment, the woman he knew he would love for the rest of his life in his arms.

"So you still hate mistletoe?" Booth teased.

"I never said I hated mistletoe. It just happened to be cleverly used in our last case to commit murder."

"I'm glad you don't hate it." They stopped swaying. She lifted her head and the partners locked eyes. His voice almost a whisper when he asked, "Remember the last time we were under a mistletoe?"

"Blackmail." Brennan laughed at the memory.

"Yeah. Poor mistletoe. It's been misunderstood and misused."

"Blackmail and murder being two instances of its misuse."

"Maybe we should redeem it huh?"

"How?"

Booth grinned at her mischievously. He pointed up towards the ceiling.

"Parker insisted I hang it up there."

"He is a very perceptive boy." Brennan grinned. She now realized Booth had cleverly manoeuvred them under the piece of greenery.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Like his Dad."

Booth beamed at her compliment.

"Are you still angry?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.

"No. I've not been for some time now. Are you still impervious?"

"I'd like to think I'm a lot less impervious that I was when we first met."

"So should we?" Booth asked, pointing to the plant hanging above them.

"I think we should." Brennan's gaze dropped to his lips as she leaned into him.

"Bones wait." Booth's seemingly abrupt change in mood from playful to serious surprised her. She worried that she had read him wrongly.

"I just – I just need you to be sure. About us. This isn't just gonna be a Christmas kiss between partners under mistletoe. You do understand what we're doing here." He wanted her to be sure. He did not want to make the mistake of pushing her into something she wasn't ready for again.

"I understand. I have contemplated this for some time now."

"Cause once we do this, I'm not gonna change my mind. No changies, no take-backs."

"I said I understand Booth."

Booth smiled and she smiled back. Their lips met under mistletoe, but this time there was no peckish prosecutor to witness their passionate exchange.

"You're welcome to stay the night if you want." Booth used the same line he had used a few nights ago as they broke the kiss.

"I did promise Parker we'd open our gifts together in the morning."

"Yeah we wouldn't want to disappoint him."

"Then I think I would stay the night."

Booth grinned.

"In your room, since Parker is currently occupying the guest bedroom."

Booth's smile grew wider. His wristwatch beeped, heralding Christmas Day. She was the best Christmas present he ever got.

"Merry Christmas Bones."

"Merry Christmas Booth." He was going to be the reason why she would stop running away from Christmas.

 ** _A Merry Christmas to all the Bones fans out there. Thank you for reading and thank you for keeping our little fandom alive._**

 ** _A/N: credit to the webpage "Celebrating Holidays"_** **_for the info on mistletoe and the Norse myth. FFnet somehow doesn't allow me to post the link._**


End file.
